On Friday I started learning a couple of tunes on Hackbrett (Hammered Dulcimer) so we can play some traditional songs for Opa’s 80th birthday party today. The main tune is an “Innviertler Landler” (the Innviertel is the local region of Austria we’re in). Lots of I and V7, which is good for me, because that’s… continued

As I mentioned in the last post, I’m giving two masterclasses in composition this summer, the first (with Otto M. Schwarz) at MidEurope in Schladming Austria (July 8th-10th), and the second at the Bayerischen Musickakademie (Bavarian Music Academy) in Marktoberdorf, Germany (August 2nd-10th). If you’re in Europe this summer, and feel the urge… continued

Tomorrow I leave for Austria, which of course I always eagerly look forward to (the ‘being there’ part, not the ‘getting there’ part). At Mid-Europe this summer I’ll be giving a 3 day masterclass on composing, as well as a workshop for beginning composers, and then during the first week of August, I’ll be… continued

Last night’s concert by the Jerry Junkin and the UT Wind Ensemble was intense. This was the final concert of John Adams’ residency at UT, and the group opened with his Short Ride in a Fast Machine (which I know well, but had never heard live), and followed up with his Grand Pianola music, both… continued

Bob Reynolds and the Baylor Wind Ensemble gave a really fine performance of the piece last night. There were a few odd moments in the opening of the piece (there usually are – the vast silent spaces and exposed single notes seem to make the players nervous, unfortunately), and the elderly audience member’s mechanized breathing… continued

Verena and the UT Symphony Band gave a truly stellar performance of Bloom yesterday. In fact, the entire concert was superb – Damon Talley, the director of that group, has done a fantastic job with them this year.Tonight, V and I head up to Baylor to hear Bob Reynolds guest conduct Alchemy in… continued

I arrived in Fort Wayne, IN yesterday for my residency at IUPFW (late, courtesy of American Airlines), and was welcomed early this morning by an earthquake. I’ve been to LA several times, San Francisco, Seattle, even Japan, but have never felt an earthquake until I come to Indiana. It was a bizarre, gentle, rocking -… continued

Last night was the Arkansas Composers Forum concert featuring works by Charles Booker, Reber Clark, Philip Parker, Francis McBeth, and myself. Hal Cooper, director of bands at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville was our host. The band did a great job on all the works, and I was particularly happy with their performance of my… continued

I transcribed Dusk for symphony orchestra last weekend, and had the good fortune (thanks to the efforts of Donald Grantham) to have the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra read it yesterday. They did a fantastic job, and I’m happy to announce you can hear it on this page, or at MySpace (same… continued

Last night I dreamt I heard the new piece I’m writing in its entirety in concert. Except that I was outside the hall. And the piece wasn’t finished, so I’d stuck in a transcription of some of Pink Floyd’s The Wall in the middle to fill up the unfinished, empty space. Amazingly, no one… continued

It’s 91 degrees here at the moment. In February. I’m trying to avoid turning on the air conditioner, because that seems so decadent and un-Earth-friendly in the middle of WINTER. I’m loving this sunny warm winter, but sure am glad I won’t be around for the summer…Random miscellaneous:Dusk scores are sold out at Hal Leonard… continued